Haven’t posted here in a long time but just got a fairly nice Marx 1666 set at the local antique mall. Pretty nice shape but I need new side rods for the 1666 engine (has smoker and steam chest). Put an inquiry out on a Marx list but no joy and no really good leads on a source for replacement rods. Any one here that could give me some suggestions on where I might check? One suggestion was to get a parts engine and canabalize the parts engine. I think I might try buying some thin stainless steel metal and make two rods - on a Marx they are pretty simple. Adding the pump arm for the smoker will challege my skills but at least it is a plan!
Did you look up parts suppliers online?
This place may be able to help. Let us know as there are some more Marx supply places .
http://www.trainpartsformarx.com/
Thanks, John
That looks like a good site to check too !! [(-D]
Thanks, John
I have the 1666 with the smoke unit and and lower smoke that was perfect except a little corrosion on one rod.But I have yet to find anyone who has the replacement rods.
You’ll most likely have to find a junker for parts to get rod replacements.[2c]
I’ve never seen anyone supply side rods for a 1666 or 666. (I think they may be the same part). I would suggest getting some sheet metal and trying your hand at making some yourself. I use a nibbler (a small handheld punch) to make replacement sliding tab/slot couplers for Marx out of aluminum flashing from a hardware store. The flashing is cheap (a couple of dollars for a package of five or six sheets). The nibbler used to be a Radio Shack item, but I doubt there are any left. I bought mine a year ago and it was a closeout then.
But basically what you do is draw an outline on the sheet, then cut away along the outline and file away any burrs or rough edges. Aluminum is really soft, so it’s easy to work with. Wear safety goggles just in case a piece of that metal goes flying the wrong way, and put down a tarp or an old shower curtain or something to catch the metal bits. You don’t want to accidentally step on one of those.
The first part I made looked like it was made by someone who had no idea what he was doing. But it did work. Later ones still looked handmade, but you had to look closely to notice them. The nice thing about a side rod is that it’s moving (and if it’d bolted on the side of a Marx, it’s moving really fast), so even if it does look a little bit crude most people probably won’t notice.
One more word of advice: When you drill the hole in the siderod, clamp the piece down. If the drill causes the piece to spin, you can hurt yourself. I haven’t injured myself this way, but I’ve found other creative ways to injure myself with power tools when making train parts. I seem to have that peculiar talent.
I think it’s unbelievable that repro side rods aren’t available for two of the most popular Marx toy trains ever made. I’m glad my 1666 is all there.
It’s probably because there are so many out there and those locomotives are relatively cheap ($35 in working order; and I’ve paid as little as $10 for junkers). I wouldn’t want to pay more than a couple bucks for the part, and I’m sure nobody could tool up the part and sell it at that price for a profit. There are a lot of junkers out there too–stuff that got played with hard or even abused, because it wasn’t a Lionel.
There’s a bigger market for parts for Commodore Vanderbilts and other older locomotives, because those locos are more valuable. Even in those cases I believe there are some parts that aren’t available. If Marx continues to increase in value, that may change.
If Barry Higginbotham from Model Engineering Works comes to the TCA show in St. Louis in December, I’ll ask him. Since he’s in the repro parts biz, he’d have a really good idea what “critical mass” would be for a part like this.
also check jeff@ttender.com he carrys marx’s items probally has them in stock